The recent allegations outlined four specific transactions. In addition to the payment to Steele’s sister, Fabian said that the candidate used money from his state campaign improperly; that Steele paid $75,000 from the state campaign to a law firm for work that was never performed; and that he or an aide transferred more than $500,000 in campaign cash from one bank to another without authorization.

The bank transfer was made against the explicit wishes of other Maryland Republicans, who had hoped to use it to support the campaigns of state legislators, said aides to Steele and former governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.

The allegations were made by Steele’s former campaign finance manager, who evidently got sent up to The Big House for fraud charges unrelated to this. This long article details the allegations and what the WaPo reporter was able to discover. And most of what he was able to discover was that Steele has issues managing his campaign’s money as well as a track record of not being on the up and up:

Over the years, money trouble has been a persistent problem for Steele. His first race for public office, a 1998 bid for the Republican nomination for state comptroller, ended nearly $35,000 in debt, much of it to his sister. He was fined twice by state officials for missing deadlines to file campaign finance reports and was in debt and had faced foreclosure in 2001, the year before he was selected as Ehrlich’s running mate. The state party threw Steele a financial lifeline, awarding him an unusual $30,000 consulting contract.

Interestingly, what this reporter was not able to discover is whether the Feds are actively investigating these charges. And, of course, this investigation would have to have been authorized by the BushCo DOJ. But think about this for a second. If someone had dug up these kind of money issues on, say, Howard Dean, there would have been wall to wall cable coverage on this, complete with nonstop speculation on the extreme damage this would be to his career, to the career of all Dems everywhere AND to the party itself.

The fact that this appears to be Republican on Republicans crime makes the outcome of this story – which I can’t seem to find mention of at DP, Colossus, or Common Sense Political Thought – very interesting.

I see the RNC Chair is a threat to the Dems who always bring out personal attacks over substance. This news flash you have will amount to nothing, zero.

Evereyone knows the Dems have Sen Dodd with a sweetheart deal on a mortgage, Charlie Rangel has many scandals brewing and everyone forgets home grown VP who sold his house to an MBNA official for $150,000 over market price and his son who collected $100,000 a year with no official duties or how about Minner’s shady deals with state money in the News Journal today?

It is clear Michael Steele is going to bring the GOP back to life and you guys are scared.

You know I heard the RNC Chair changed lanes without using his turn signal also. I hope the FBI checks in to this serious matter on his driving habits.